Separator for wells.



O. A. LAYNE.

SEPARATOR FOR WELLS.

APPLICATIDN man SEPT. 11. 1911.

L302,815, Patented May 6, 1919.

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.- snrnnaron for. Watts,

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Application filed Scptemberdl'i, 1917. Serial Ito. 191,677.

To all whom it may concern: i

/ Beit known that l[, OLLYN A. LArNE, a citizen of the United States,residingat Los AngeIes, in the county ofLos Angeles, State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Separators forWells, of which the follo wing is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for separating. sand'and liquid inwells, such as oil and water wells, etc.; and relates particularly topipe separators adapted'to allow the entry of liquid and at the sametime prevent llti entry of sand. It is a primary object of thisinvention to provide such a device which may be efiiciently andeconomically manufactured and which will act efliciently to per-, formits services.

of this character r in which-- Figure 1 is an elevation of one form ofmy is to provides. separator which maybe formed (that Another object is,finallyformed claimed in my copending application entitled, Method offorming separators for wells, filed on November 13, 1916, and bearingSerial No. 131,022. Uther objects and features of the invention are madeapparent in the following detailed specification wherein lldescribe'preferred forms of my device. For the .tion I refer to the accompanyingdrawings device, parts being shown in'section; Fig. 2 is a simllarelevation of another form of my device; lFi 3 is a crosssection ofeither p of the forms s own in Fi s.'l and.2; Fig. 4

is an enlarged detail section taken as indi-' cated by line 4-4: on Fig.3; and Fig 5 is a similar section showing the parts in the position'inwhich they are put into a well.-

I have found by experience thatsand, silt,

' etc, can be excluded from the interior of a perforated pipe if theperforations in; the pipe are so protected that the s and,etc., musteither flow upwardly or must flow. substantially horizontally in orderto reach the perforations. The fluid Will of course flow up wardlybeneath the protectors and then-flow through the perforationsywhile thesand,,' etc. will not reach or. flow through the perf forations unlessit is allowed to flow downwardly to and through the perforations at anangle suliicient to cause its flow. In an application coipendingherewith Serial Number 241,7 5 1, filed June 25, 1918, and which is inpart adivision of this present application Specification of LettersJPatent.

form. including a as a separator) by a certain method hereinafterexplained, and partlcw v larly erplalned and purposeof this descriptamerMay 6, rain.

explain a forn flof separator in which a noseshaped protector entirelyprotects the open- 111g against direct lateral flow of fluid, etc. i

In this present application I now explain other forms of separators inwhich lateral i'low. (horizontal flow) of the fluid and sand,

etc. is completely prohibited, or in which the angle of possible flow issubstantially horizontal, so. that the entrance of sand, etc. is,

effectually shut 0d from the opening. It is a feature of the form which1 herein explain that the protectors are arranged in the'form of\aprons, or the like, which extend an tirely around the pipe or casingone of the forms including a series of circular aprons placed one abovet e otherfand the other which extends-completely around and around thecasing or i Y In Fig; *1 o t edrawings show a pipe or casing atlOprovided with perforations 11*. -These perforations may beof anysuitable or convenient form, size or placement;

][ preferably show them perforations, arrangedin circumferential beltsor zones here as being round 20.. Each apron preferably, although notontinuous spiral apron v either drilled or punched and around the pipe.OVerhanging each one of these belts of perforations there is an apronnecessarily,'comprises 'a pair of thicknesses 5 of sheet metal asillustrated at 2l and 22 (see Figs. d and 5 particularly). 'The upperedges of each of these metal sheets is secured as 'by'welding, t0 thepipe 10; and the lower 7 part of'eac'h apron and longitudinally ofthepipe so that the #lower parts of the apron may be expanded in conical.formation to the" position illustrated-in Figs. 1,-3 and 4. The slits inthe two thicknesses of metal are apron sheet will come opposite theslits of staggered so thatthe solid-portions of 0116' the other: apronsheet and thus make an- I apron which. is substantially impervious tosand, siltand the like.

, The slits are shown atj23fin the drawings. The lower. edge ofthe'outermost apron sheet 'isprovided with I a' slight hook, or catch,25 which catches under the outer'lower'edge' corner ofthe inner apronsheet when the aprons are expanded,"

and .thus'prevents the aprons from springing backagainstthe casing orpipe. In their expanded conical position each apron sheet covers theslits in the other," in a'sort of shlngllng' to. position, "or towardposition,

effect; and their lower edges are-below the lowermost holes or partsofthe holes 11 so that in order to reach the holes 11 it is necessarythat any fluid must flow upwardly, under or behind the edge of theapron.

' Fluid such as water and 011 will do this, but

- cover the apertures of each belt.

In this form of device, direct horizontal flow of fluid or of sand, etc.to the apertures is also practically cut off because fluid, sand, etc.must enter under the edge of the spiral apron in order toreach theapertures. Now,

' although it might appear from a theoretical consideration of the case,that a horizontal flow of fluid or of sand to the apertures is.possible, by. a flow which would fiowpast and under the edge of thespiral protector at a .point, say at the left in Fig. 2, horizontallaround the c' sine tothe apertures 11 at the right in Fig. 2, yet such aflow does not takeplace in practice because this flowv is not theshortest flow to the apertures,

The shortest flow to the apertures is one which enters under the apronat a point op posite or nearly opposite the holes through which the flowis taking. place and-then passes .upw'ardly and lnwardly to and throughthe holes. This is the line of shortest fiow and also the line of. leastresistance to flow.- The'form shown in Fig. 2 is therefore a veryeffective form of protector, and

is, moreover, very simply and economically manufactured.

Both the forms shown in these drawings are designed to be placed in awell with the aprons in position against the pipe as illustrated in Fig.5. In such form-- the lower edge of each apronis designed to come closeto or into contact with the upper edge of the next apron (or the loweredge of one course 50 of the spiral apron in Fig. 2 is designed to comeclose to or into contact with the upper edge of the next course below).So that when the aprons are flat against the pipe the Whole pipepresents a smooth, cylindrical exterior surface and may be lowered in awell without any obstruction and without deformingthe apron. When it isdesired to form the separator into its operative form, then the apronsare moved outwardly, preferably by internal shock or concussion orimpact, such as may be delivered to the aprons through the medium of aliquid upon which an impact is delivered or to which a shock isdelivered by the detonation of an explosive within the casing.

Such a method is the subject matter of my application S. N. 131,022filed Nov. 13th, 1916. It will be understood however, that the.separator is not necessarily limited to this particular method offormation. Neither is the invention necessarily limited to otherparticular features of detail herein explained, except as specified bythe followin claims.

aving described a preferred form of my invention, I claim:

1. A well pipe separator, embodying a pipe having a plurality of spacedopenings through its walls-and a protector apron extending'entirelyaround the-pipe and hang-- ing downwardly and outwardly over theopenings in downwardly flaring form, said apron being attached to thepipe aroundits upper edge and being vertically slitted up from its loweredge.

2. A well pipe separator, embodying a pipe having a' plurality of spacedopenings through its walls, and a protector apron extending entirelyaround the pipe and hanging. downwardly and outwardly over the openingsin downwardly flaring form, said protector apron being of double sheetsof metal each slitted up from its lower-edge and the slits in the twosheets being in staggered relation.

3. A Well pipe separator, embodying a pipe having a plurality of spacedopenings through its walls, and a protector apron extending entirelyaround the pipe and hang- .ing downwardly and outwardly over theopenings in downwardly flaring form, said protector apron being ofdouble sheets of metal each slitted up from its lower edge, and means onthe slitted parts of one of the apron sheets engaging the slitted partsof the other apron sheet to hold the two sheets in position.

4. A well pipe separator, embodying a pipe having a plurality of spacedopenings through its walls, and a protector apron extending entirelyaround the pi. e and hanging downwardly and outwar ly over the openingsin downwardly flaring form, said protector apron being of double sheetsof metal each slitted up from its lower edge and the slits in the twosheets being in staggered relation, and means on the slitted parts ofone of the apron sheets engaging the slitted parts of the other apronsheet to hold the two sheets in position.

5. Awe'll pipe separator, embodying a pipe having a plurality of spacedopenings arranged on a spiral line around the pipe walls, and a spiralprotector member on the outside of the pipe over the oppnings.

6. A well pipe separator, embodying a pipe havinga pluraltiy of spacedopenings arranged on a spiral line around the pipe Walls, and a spiralprotector apron on the outside of the pipe over the openings, hangtingdownwardly and outwardly over the openings.

7. A well pipe separator, embodying a pipe having a plurality of spacedopenings arranged on a spiral line around the pipe walls, and a spiralprotector apron on the outside of the pipe over the openings, hangingdownwardly and outwardly over the openings, said apron being attached tothe pipe'around its upper edge and being vertically slitted up from itslower edge.

8. A well pipe separator, embodying a pipe having a plurality of spacedOpenings arranged on a spiral linearound the pipe walls, and a spiralprotector apron on the outside of the pipe over the openings, the

apron being of two sheets of metal one overapron being of two sheets ofmetal one overlaid onthe other, attached to the pipe at their upperedges and hanging downwardly and outwardly over the openings, eachapron,

sheet being vertically slitted up from its lower edge and the slits inthe two sheets being in staggered'relation to each other.

.10. A well pipe separator, embodying a pipe having apertures throughits walls, and a protector member overhanging the aper tures lyingagainst the pipe at its upper edge above the apertures and being slittedup from its lower edge.

11. A well pipe separator, embodying a pipe having apertures through itswalls, and

a protector member overhanging the apertures lying against the pipe atits upper edge above the apertures and comprising two superimposedsheets each slitted up from its lower edge and the slits in the twosheets being in staggered relation so that the slits of one sheet arecovered by the other sheet.

12. A well pipe separator, embodying .a

continuous integralwell pipe with apertures through its walls, and aprotector member overhanging the apertures and extending around thepipe, secured to the pipe at its upper edge and flaring outwardly anddownwardly over the apertures.

OLLYN A. LAYNE.

Witness E. WAGNER.

